Sexual selection,male morphology,and the efficacy of courtship signalling in two wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Males of the brush-legged wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata (Araneae: Lycosidae), possess a conspicuous male secondary sexual character: dark pigmentation and tufts of bristles on the tibiae of their forelegs. We tested several hypotheses relating to the role of this conspicuous trait in sexual selection. Triad mating experiments suggest that the tufts do not play an obvious role in the operation of sexual selection by either male competition or female choice, as there were no significant differences in the mating success of intact and experimentally shaved males. However, females mated more often with males that initiated courtship first, suggesting that capture of a female’s attention by male signalling may play a critical role. In behavioral experiments that paired a single male with a female in arenas that allowed both visual and vibratory signal transmission during courtship, female receptivity did not vary significantly with the presence or absence of tufts. However, experiments that isolated the visual component of communication (by eliminating vibratory communication) revealed a significant effect of the presence of tufts: females showed receptivity less often to males with tufts removed. Female response to visual signals was much greater in S. ocreata than in its sibling congener, Schizocosa rovneri, which lacks male tufts. We hypothesize that the tufts serve to increase the efficacy of visual displays of S. ocreata, as vibratory communication is constrained by the complex leaf litter habitat of some populations. Such environmental constraints may make visual signalling over distance a critical factor for effective courtship communication, which may in turn strongly influence male fitness. Received: 30 September 1994/Accepted after revision: 4 August 1995     

Multimodal signaling in the Small Torrent Frog (Micrixalus saxicola) in a complex acoustic environment

Many animals use multimodal (both visual and acoustic) components in courtship signals. The acoustic communication of anuran amphibians can be masked by the presence of environmental background noise, and multimodal displays may enhance receiver detection in complex acoustic environments. In the present study, we measured sound pressure levels of concurrently calling males of the Small Torrent Frog (Micrixalus saxicola) and used acoustic playbacks and an inflatable balloon mimicking a vocal sac to investigate male responses to controlled unimodal (acoustic) and multimodal (acoustic and visual) dynamic stimuli in the frogs’ natural habitat. Our results suggest that abiotic noise of the stream does not constrain signal detection, but males are faced with acoustic interference and masking from conspecific chorus noise. Multimodal stimuli elicited greater response from males and triggered significantly more visual signal responses than unimodal stimuli. We suggest that the vocal sac acts as a visual cue and improves detection and discrimination of acoustic signals by making them more salient to receivers amidst complex biotic background noise.     

Interacting effects of ambient light and plumage color patterns in displaying Wire-tailed Manakins (Aves,Pipridae)

Sending color signals to conspecifics may attract predators, leading to opposing selection pressures on the evolution of signal expression and display behavior in animals. The costs of signaling can be reduced, however, because conspicuousness is the combined result of the reflectance spectra of the displayer's color pattern and the spectra of ambient light illuminating the animal. Changes in ambient light can alter conspicuousness, even when chemical and structural color-generating mechanisms remain constant, potentially allowing animals to display their colors most fully in light environments where the benefits are greatest relative to the costs. Using spectroradiometric methods, we determined how light habitat use affects conspicuousness in adult males of the Wire-tailed Manakin Pipra filicauda, a lekking bird species with vivid plumage colors. We studied three aspects of visibility, including properties of the entire color pattern, visual contrast within an individual's plumage and a bird's contrast relative to its visual background. Wire-tailed Manakins usually displayed in forest shade environments, which reduced their conspicuousness at larger viewing distances, while maximizing visual contrast within the plumage color pattern at close viewing distances. Compared to sunspots, ambient light in forest shade reduces the contrast of individual bird colors with the background at close viewing distance. However, background contrast of individual bird colors in the shade was still relatively higher during sunny than during cloudy weather which may explain why males were more active when the sun was not blocked by clouds. Assuming that the visual perceptions of predators and other manakins do not differ from the reflectance patterns we measured, Wire-tailed manakins tend to display in light environments that reduce the conflicts between avoiding long distance detection by predators and displaying conspicuous color signals to visiting females.     

Information content is more important than sensory system or physical distance in guiding the long-term evolutionary relationships between signaling modalities in Sceloporus lizards

Long-term signal evolution is shaped by a variety of selective pressures including the need to convey additional information or to improve message transfer to specific receivers or through multiple environments. Here, we test the relative importance of information and sensory modality in shaping the long-term evolution of multimodal signals in Sceloporus lizards. To broadcast identity at territorial boundaries, male Sceloporus use both visual motion (headbob) and chemical signals, whereas they use color (blue belly patches) to signal aggression. Using modern phylogenetic comparative methods, we found a negative correlation between evolutionary changes in visual motion (headbobs) and chemical (femoral pore) signals, but only indirect ties between the evolution of color and motion signals (both of which are perceived visually) through viviparity, and no evidence of an evolutionary link between color and chemical signals. We also find a negative correlation between arboreality and chemical signals. Thus, information content (in this case, broadcasting individual identity versus signaling aggression) appears to play a more important role than sensory modality or physical distance in guiding long-term signal evolution. Additional insights into the underlying evolutionary processes are described, illustrating the utility of a phylogenetic approach.     

Echolocation behavior of the bat <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vespertilio murinus</Emphasis> reveals the border between the habitat types “edge” and “open space”

We test the hypothesis that echolocation behavior can be used to find the border between bat habitats. Assuming that bats react to background targets in “edge space” but not in “open space”, we determined the border between these two habitat types for commuting individuals of the parti-colored bat Vespertilio murinus. We recorded sequences of bats’ echolocation signals while they flew parallel to the walls of large buildings and to the ground and determined the signals’ average bandwidth, duration, and pulse interval. These parameters varied systematically with the estimated horizontal and vertical distances between the bats and the background. A distinct effect of horizontal distance to the background on echolocation behavior was found for horizontal distances of less than 6 m, thus indicating the border between edge and open space. Only a few bats flew at vertical distances below 5 m. However, enough passages at vertical distances of 5 m and above indicated that the vertical border is somewhere below a distance of 5 m. Within edge space, V. murinus reacted to the background by reducing signal duration, increasing bandwidth at closer distances, and often emitting one signal per wing beat. In open space, signal parameters did not vary as a function of distance to the background. There, V. murinus emitted the longest signals with the narrowest bandwidth and often made one or two wing beats without emitting a pulse. With our data we support with statistical methods the hypothesis that echolocation behavior reveals the border between the habitat types “edge” and “open space”.     

Variation in the temporal and spatial use of signals and its implications for multimodal communication

The use of signals across multiple sensory modalities in communication is common in animals and plants. Determining the information that each signal component conveys has provided unique insights into why multimodal signals evolve. However, how these complex signals are assessed by receivers will also influence their evolution, a hypothesis that has received less attention. Here, we explore multimodal signal assessment in a closely related complex of island flycatchers that have diverged in visual and acoustic signals. Using field experiments that manipulated song and plumage colour, we tested if song, a possible long-range signal, is assessed before plumage colour in conspecific recognition. We find that divergent song and colour are assessed in sequence, and this pattern of sequential assessment is likely mediated by habitat structure and the extent of differences in signal characteristics. A broad survey of the literature suggests that many organisms from a wide range of taxa sequentially assess multimodal signals, with long-range signals attracting conspecifics for further assessment of close-range signals. Our results highlight the need to consider how signals are assessed when understanding multimodal signal evolution. Finally, given the results of our field experiments indicating sequential assessment of divergent song and colour in the recognition of conspecifics, we discuss the consequences of multimodal signal divergence for the origin of species, as changes in signals across different sensory modalities may influence the evolution of premating reproductive isolation.     

Here comes the sun: multimodal displays are associated with sunlight incidence

Conspicuousness of courtship signals in animals likely evolved to maximize mate attraction while minimizing predator detection. It is assumed, though largely unknown, that environmental and luminosity conditions affect the detectability of ornaments and motor displays and could thus strongly influence behavior. We combined visual models and behavioral observations to test whether the multimodal display of the blue-black grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) is influenced by environmental conditions, predicting that males should display more often in moments with high sunlight incidence upon their bodies. By displaying in such a context-dependent fashion, males would be able to maximize conspicuousness of their iridescent blue-black plumage and avoid displaying continuously, since the latter would involve higher energetic investment. We recorded the rates of both complete displays (leap with singing) as well as incomplete ones (singing while perched) for males during repeated 30-min focal observations in varying environmental situations in the field. We found that when bathed directly in sunlight, males increased their rates of displays, tending to exhibit more complete rather than incomplete displays in this condition and suggesting a potential trade-off between display types. Our results suggest that animals may adjust the timing and precise location of signal activity to improve the efficiency or likelihood of detection of some signal elements.     

Effect of visual background complexity and light level on the detection of visual signals of male <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schizocosa ocreata</Emphasis> wolf spiders by female conspecifics

For visual signaling to be effective, animal signals must be detected and discriminated by receivers, often against complex visual backgrounds with varying light levels. Accordingly, in many species, conspicuous visual displays and ornaments have evolved as a means to enhance background contrast and thereby increase the detection and discrimination of male courtship signals by females. Using video playbacks, we tested the hypothesis that visual courtship displays and leg decorations of male Schizocosa ocreata wolf spiders are more conspicuous against complex leaf-litter backgrounds. Video exemplars of courting males with manipulated leg tufts were superimposed on different backgrounds (complex leaf litter in sun or shade, featureless gray background) and presented to female spiders. Females were more likely to orient to males presented against lighter backgrounds (litter in sun, gray) than the darker ones (litter—shade). Males with larger tufts were also more likely to be detected, as latency to orient was shortest for enlarged and longest for removed tufts. Latency of females to approach was shorter against lighter backgrounds, and approach latency was longest for males without tufts. Female receptivity scores were significantly greater for males against lighter backgrounds, and males with larger tufts had higher scores. These results suggest that both complexity and light level of display backgrounds affect the detection of male visual courtship signals by females and that aspects of the male phenotype may increase chances of detection (and receptivity) against visually complex backgrounds.     

An experimental investigation of the bioacoustics of cowbird song

Summary Female cowbirds (Molothrus ater ater), maintained in isolation from males during the breeding season, respond to the playback of male song with copulatory postures. They respond to some songs more than to others. Cowbird song potency can thus be operationally defined by the proportion of copulatory postures a song elicits across multiple playbacks. The purpose of the present study was to explore whether song potency changes with distance in the field. No field recordings elicited high levels of responding by the females. When songs of known high potency are systematically degraded, the results indicate that female cowbirds are sensitive to small changes in signal to noise ratio and to atmospheric attenuation. The data suggest that cowbird song potency degrades very rapidly with transmission distance in the field.     

What are the strengths and limitations of direct and indirect assessment of dispersal? Insights from a long-term field study in a group-living bird species

Molecular methods of assessing dispersal have become increasingly powerful and have superseded direct methods of studying dispersal. Although now less popular, direct methods of studying dispersal remain important tools for understanding the evolution of dispersal. Here, we use data from Siberian jays Perisoreus infaustus, a group-living bird species, to compare natal dispersal distances and rates using visual mark–recapture, radio-tracking and microsatellite data. Siberian jays have bimodal natal dispersal timing; socially dominant offspring remain with their parents for up to 5 years (delayed dispersers), while they force their subordinate brood mates to leave the parental territory at independence (early dispersers). Early dispersers moved about 9,000 m (visual mark–recapture, radio-tracking) before settling in a group as a non-breeder. In contrast, delayed dispersers moved about 1,250 m (visual mark–recapture only) and mainly moved to a breeding opening. Dispersal distances were greater in managed habitat compared to natural habitat for both early and delayed dispersers. Molecular estimates based on 23 microsatellite loci and geographical locations supported distance estimates from the direct methods. Our study shows that molecular methods are at least 22 times cheaper than direct methods and match estimates of dispersal distance from direct methods. However, molecular estimates do not give insight into the behavioural mechanisms behind dispersal decisions. Thus, to understand the evolution of dispersal, it is important to combine direct and indirect methods, which will give insights into the behavioural processes affecting dispersal decisions, allowing proximate dispersal decisions to be linked to the ultimate consequences thereof.     

Social competition masculinizes the communication signals of female electric fish

Male intrasexual competition and female choice explain the evolution of male ornaments. Except in sex-role-reversed taxa, female ornaments have been regarded as an epiphenomenon of genetic correlation, with no female-specific function or independently selected basis. Females from species with conventional sex roles may still experience some degree of female–female competition and male choice that could explain the persistence of female ornaments. We studied the effect of female competition on the expression of a sexually dimorphic communication signal. In the electric fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio, both sexes produce an electric signal pulse for communication and electrolocation. Male electric pulses are longer in duration and greater in amplitude than those of females. As competition increases, males further enhance their signals in response to elevated androgen levels. We explored whether females respond to social competition as males do, by enhancing their communication signals and increasing androgen levels. We measured amplitude and duration of the electric signal pulse, and testosterone levels in female B. gauderio in their natural habitat in Uruguay and estimated social competition by calculating population density and adult sex ratio (ASR). In the lab, we manipulated ASR and population density independently to separate these factors and eliminate seasonal confounds. Under both field and lab conditions, signal pulse amplitude increased with population density, while pulse duration increased with female bias in ASR. In the field, but not the lab, androgen levels increased when ASR was female biased. Our findings indicate that the socially mediated mechanism of signal regulation is shared by the sexes, although whether androgens regulate this signal plasticity in females remains unclear.     

Changes in male guppy courting distance in response to a fluctuating light environment

In the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), effective courting by a male requires visual contact with the female. Therefore, environmental light intensity may affect male display behavior, particularly initial courtship distance. We found that male guppies courted at exact and predictable distances from the female given a particular light level, both in field and laboratory studies. In lower light levels (<0.1 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹), for example at dawn, dusk, or under heavy canopy, males court females at closer and less variable distances (<3 cm). At higher light levels, which occur during most of the day and with less canopy cover, males often court from twice or three times further out. Light levels over guppy streams change over relatively short time periods and ranges, correlating with variation in courtship distances. Laboratory manipulations of irradiance confirmed that courtship distance depends on illumination. Hence, courtship distances may be set by the effect of lighting on signal efficiency, minimization of energy or time expenditures, or predation risk. Received: 16 December 1997 / Accepted after revision: 8 August 1998     

Asymmetry in a visual signaling character and sexual selection in a wolf spider

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) can indicate developmental instability in bilaterally symmetric organisms, and studies have shown that the degree of asymmetry in male secondary sexual characters influences female mate choice in a number of taxa. In male Schizocosa ocreata wolf spiders, conspicuous tufts of bristles on the forelegs are a critical component of visual courtship signals, which appear to play a role in female mate choice. Previous studies have shown that females exhibit reduced receptivity to males with regenerative asymmetry, a consequence of leg loss and regeneration that causes males to be grossly asymmetric with respect to this important signaling character. We provide data on the occurrence of FA in the tufts of S. ocreata, and examine further the influence of asymmetry on female mate choice. The distribution of tuft area asymmetry values from a sample of field-collected males was normal, with a mean value of zero, indicating true FA. For a subset of males measured directly after field collection and prior to feeding, tuft asymmetry was significantly negatively correlated with measures of body size (body length) and condition (abdomen volume/cephalothorax width). Receptivity responses of females to visual signals from live males of similar size varied with the degree of asymmetry in male tufts. Since FA covaries with male body size and condition, which may also influence behavioral vigor, we used video image manipulation to alter the degree of asymmetry in tufts of a courting male while holding size and condition constant. Asymmetry treatments represented values within the range of natural FA variation as well as more extreme values characteristic of regenerative asymmetry. With the confounding effects of male size, condition, and behavior held constant, female spiders exhibited reduced receptivity responses to all experimental asymmetric video images relative to a control video stimulus. There were no differences in the frequency of female receptivity among the various asymmetry treatments, suggesting that discrimination against asymmetry in conspecific male signal characters is not simply a rejection of extreme phenotypes. Results suggest that asymmetry in a key male secondary character used in visual signaling, independent of any concomitant behavioral or size factor, is an important criterion in mate choice. Received: 26 February 1998 / Accepted after revision: 12 September 1998     

The dominance of seismic signaling and selection for signal complexity in Schizocosa multimodal courtship displays

Schizocosa wolf spiders show tremendous diversity in courtship complexity, with different species employing varying numbers of components within and across sensory modalities. Using a comparative approach, we investigate the importance of each signaling modality in the courtship display of five Schizocosa species (three stridulating and two drumming) by assessing mating success under manipulated signaling environments. Irrespective of the degree of male ornamentation, the three stridulating species exhibit a dependence on the seismic, but not visual, signaling environment for mating success. Mating was independent of signaling environment for the two drumming species. We next ask whether the degree to which each species depends upon a signaling modality for mating (i.e., modality importance) is correlated with the estimated modality-specific signal complexity. We first calculate effect sizes for the influence of seismic versus visual signaling environments on the likelihood to mate for ten Schizocosa species and then use an element-counting approach to calculate seismic and visual signal complexity scores. We use a phylogenetic regression analysis to test two predictions: (1) the importance of seismic signaling is correlated with seismic signal complexity and (2) the importance of visual signaling is correlated with visual signal complexity. We find a significant relationship between visual signal importance and visual signal complexity, but no relationship between seismic signal importance and seismic signal complexity. Finally, we test the hypothesis that selection acts on complexity per se by determining whether seismic and visual signal complexity is correlated across species. We find support for this hypothesis in a significant relationship between seismic and visual signal complexity.     

Factors affecting the detection distances of reef fish: implications for visual counts

Detection patterns of coral reef fish were assessed from the meta-analysis of distance sampling surveys performed by visual census in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, from 1986 to 1999. From approximately 100,000 observations relating to 593 species, the frequency distributions of fish detection distances perpendicular to the transect line were compared according to species characteristics and sampling conditions. The shape and extension of these detection profiles varied markedly with fish size, shyness, and crypticity, indicating strong differences of detectability across species. Detection of very small and cryptic fish decreased strongly 1 m away from the line. Conversely, sightings of shy and large species were excessively low in the first meters due to diver avoidance prior to detection. The larger the fish, the greater the fleeing distance. Distance data underscore how inconsistent detectability biases across species and sites can affect the accuracy of visual censuses when assessing coral reef fish populations.     

High-frequency sound transmission in natural habitats: implications for the evolution of insect acoustic communication

Summary Transmission and reception of high-frequency sound in the natural environment of bushcrickets (Tettigonia viridissima L.) was studied using the activity of an identified neuron in the insect's auditory pathway as a biological microphone. Different positions of the receiver within the habitat were simulated by systematic variation of the distance from a loudspeaker and the height above the ground. Attenuation and filtering properties of the habitat were investigated with pure-tone frequencies between 5 and 40 kHz. Sound attenuation in excess of the attenuation due to geometrical spreading alone increased with increasing frequency, distance between sender and receiver, and decreasing height within the vegetation (Figs. 2–4). The data also confirm the existence of two kinds of excess attenuation. The amount of amplitude fluctuations in the sound signals was investigated by analysing the variability of the neuronal responses at a given receiver position. Variability increased with decreasing bandwidth of a noise signal at some distance from the loadspeaker. The variability in the responses to pure tones increased with both increasing frequency and distance from the source (Fig. 7). In the selected habitat, the temporal pattern of the natural calling song of male T. viridissima was very reliably reflected in the activity of the recorded neuron up to a distance of 30 m at the top of the vegetation, and 15–20 m near ground level (Figs. 5, 8). The maximum hearing distance in response to the calling song was about 40 m. Environmental constraints on long-range acoustic communication in the habitat are discussed in relation to possible adaptations of both the signal structure and the behavior of the insects.Abbreviations excessive attenuation EA - sound pressure level SPL Offprint requests to: H. Romer     

Age-related changes in an insect mating signal have no effect on female choice

The structure of male mating signals is often influenced by age. The causes and consequences of age-based signal variation have been much studied in visual, acoustic, and chemical signaling modalities, but are less explored in species that use vibrational signals for mate attraction. However, the complex structure of many vibrational signals makes them ideal for investigating the relationships between age, signal variation, and patterns of female choice. In the thornbug treehopper, Umbonia crassicornis, females mate more often with older males, but the mechanism underlying older male mating success is unknown. Our goals in this study were to determine whether male vibrational mate advertisement signals vary with age, and, if so, whether females prefer the signals of older males. We recorded male signals over four consecutive weeks beginning at the onset of signaling (a period spanning most of the male reproductive lifespan), and measured ten temporal, spectral, and energy-related parameters from each signal. Several features of male signals changed markedly with age. However, females responded similarly to signals representing males of different ages, indicating that they do not favor older males on the basis of long distance mate advertisement signals. Nonetheless, the results reveal that even in short-lived, determinate growth species age can have surprisingly large effects on mating signals, and we discuss some factors that may contribute to age-related signal variability in U. crassicornis.     

Multimethod,multistate Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for use in regional monitoring of wolves

In many cases, the first step in large‐carnivore management is to obtain objective, reliable, and cost‐effective estimates of population parameters through procedures that are reproducible over time. However, monitoring predators over large areas is difficult, and the data have a high level of uncertainty. We devised a practical multimethod and multistate modeling approach based on Bayesian hierarchical‐site‐occupancy models that combined multiple survey methods to estimate different population states for use in monitoring large predators at a regional scale. We used wolves (Canis lupus) as our model species and generated reliable estimates of the number of sites with wolf reproduction (presence of pups). We used 2 wolf data sets from Spain (Western Galicia in 2013 and Asturias in 2004) to test the approach. Based on howling surveys, the naïve estimation (i.e., estimate based only on observations) of the number of sites with reproduction was 9 and 25 sites in Western Galicia and Asturias, respectively. Our model showed 33.4 (SD 9.6) and 34.4 (3.9) sites with wolf reproduction, respectively. The number of occupied sites with wolf reproduction was 0.67 (SD 0.19) and 0.76 (0.11), respectively. This approach can be used to design more cost‐effective monitoring programs (i.e., to define the sampling effort needed per site). Our approach should inspire well‐coordinated surveys across multiple administrative borders and populations and lead to improved decision making for management of large carnivores on a landscape level. The use of this Bayesian framework provides a simple way to visualize the degree of uncertainty around population‐parameter estimates and thus provides managers and stakeholders an intuitive approach to interpreting monitoring results. Our approach can be widely applied to large spatial scales in wildlife monitoring where detection probabilities differ between population states and where several methods are being used to estimate different population parameters.     

Factors affecting aural detections of songbirds.

Many factors affect the number of birds detected on point count surveys of breeding songbirds. The magnitude and importance of these factors are not well understood. We used a bird song simulation system to quantify the effects of detection distance, singing rate, species differences, and observer differences on detection probabilities of birds detected by ear. We simulated 40 point counts consisting of 10 birds per count for five primary species (Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia, Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens, Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens, Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina, and Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus) over a range of 15 distances (34-143 m). Songs were played at low (two songs per count) and high (13-21 songs per count) singing rates. Detection probabilities averaged across observers ranged from 0.60 (Black-and-white Warbler) to 0.83 (Hooded Warbler) at the high singing rate and 0.41 (Black-and-white Warbler) to 0.67 (Hooded Warbler) at the low singing rate. Logistic regression analyses indicated that species, singing rate, distance, and observer were all significant factors affecting detection probabilities. Singing rate x species and singing rate X distance interactions were also significant. Simulations of expected counts, based on the best logistic model, indicated that observers detected between 19% (for the worst observer, lowest singing rate, and least detectable species) and 65% (for the best observer, highest singing rate, and most detectable species) of the true population. Detection probabilities on actual point count surveys are likely to vary even more because many sources of variability were controlled in our experiments. These findings strongly support the importance of adjusting measures of avian diversity or abundance from auditory point counts with direct estimates of detection probability.     

Developing Metapopulation Connectivity Criteria from Genetic and Habitat Data to Recover the Endangered Mexican Wolf

Restoring connectivity between fragmented populations is an important tool for alleviating genetic threats to endangered species. Yet recovery plans typically lack quantitative criteria for ensuring such population connectivity. We demonstrate how models that integrate habitat, genetic, and demographic data can be used to develop connectivity criteria for the endangered Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), which is currently being restored to the wild from a captive population descended from 7 founders. We used population viability analysis that incorporated pedigree data to evaluate the relation between connectivity and persistence for a restored Mexican wolf metapopulation of 3 populations of equal size. Decreasing dispersal rates greatly increased extinction risk for small populations (<150–200), especially as dispersal rates dropped below 0.5 genetically effective migrants per generation. We compared observed migration rates in the Northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) wolf metapopulation to 2 habitat‐based effective distance metrics, least‐cost and resistance distance. We then used effective distance between potential primary core populations in a restored Mexican wolf metapopulation to evaluate potential dispersal rates. Although potential connectivity was lower in the Mexican wolf versus the NRM wolf metapopulation, a connectivity rate of >0.5 genetically effective migrants per generation may be achievable via natural dispersal under current landscape conditions. When sufficient data are available, these methods allow planners to move beyond general aspirational connectivity goals or rules of thumb to develop objective and measurable connectivity criteria that more effectively support species recovery. The shift from simple connectivity rules of thumb to species‐specific analyses parallels the previous shift from general minimum‐viable‐population thresholds to detailed viability modeling in endangered species recovery planning. Desarrollo de Criterios de Conectividad Metapoblacional a Partir de Datos Genéticos y de Hábitat para Recuperar al Lobo Mexicano en Peligro de Extinción